Russians support Ukraine invasion because of loyalty to Putin

A new study led by University of Kent psychologists has found that approximately half of Russian adults support the Ukraine war, with backing for the military intervention.

Researchers found that Russian support of the Ukraine war serves as a demonstration of loyalty to Vladimir Putin and his government. Yet, this war support does not reflect other potential motivations, such as wanting to dominate Ukraine or Ukrainians, or reacting with aggression to a perceived Ukrainian threat.

The team of psychologists examined data from three large, diverse samples of Russian adults to establish their findings. The study is published in the European Journal of Social Psychology.

Dr Robin Wollast, a Postdoctoral Research Associate, led the research study from the University of Kent’s Psychology and Public Policy Research Unit. Dr Wollast said: ‘While we understood that many Russians supported the Ukraine invasion, the reasons behind this were not completely clear. Several factors also contribute to war support, such as Russian identification, nationalism, group efficacy, war-related misperceptions, and collective narcissism. Misinformation was also an important predictor of support for the war, including theoretical ideas like 'The Ukrainian government is controlled by Nazis.'

‘In sum, different motivational traits behind their support have brought these findings to light through our studies. It was interesting to see the role that misinformation had in influencing support for the war. This is something we are looking to explore further.’

The research study titled ‘Russians’ Attitudes Towards the War in Ukraine’ is published by European Journal of Social Psychology. doi: 10.1002/ejsp.3118